Gun-rack.



n. n. WHITCOMB.

Patented Oct. 28, 1902.

G UN R A 6 K (Application filed Feb. 15, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Modem mvwm jhmizio WfipicozzZ,

witness affozueq cu, PHOTO -LIYHO., wnswmsrou. o. c.

, no. 7|2,42a. Pat entad act. 28, 1902.

- H. mwm-rcoms. j

GUN BACK.

' (Application filed Feb. 15, 1902.]

(No Model.)

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

HORATIO N. WHITOOMB, OF WATERLOO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TOJOSEPH L. LAFONTAINE, OF ROXTON FALLS, CANADA, AND MICHEL'AUGER, OFTORONTO, CANADA.

GUN-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters liatent No. 712,428, dated October28, 1902. Application filed February 15, 1902. Serial No. 94,249. (Nomodel}! To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I,HORATIO N.WHIT00MB,

a subject of the King of England, residing at Waterloo, county ofSheiford, .Province' of Quebec, and Dominion of Canada, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Gun-Racks, of which the followingis aspeci- V tentpole or by the use of a simple upright serve as anindividual structure in an armory. The primary object of the inventionis to provide a simple organization ofypa rts embodying adjustablefeatures and structural elements for positively and immovably holdingguns, so that they can be readily removed or applied and held in closerelation when in the rack and at all times accessible.

A further object of the invention is to pro-,

vide means for readily shifting or adjusting the main elements of therack to vary the ele vation thereof and also to separate said elementsas may be desired to accommodate different kinds of guns.

A further object of the invention is to provide garment-supportingdevices in connection with one of the main elements at regular intervalsbetween the supporting structures for the upper terminals of theguns.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in theconstruction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the improved rackshown arranged in operative position in connection with a tent-pole, agun being shown in dotted lines in supported relation thereto. Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation of the improved device .ar

ranged for use in' an armory. Fig. 3 is a of the improved device.

Similar n umerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates asupport, which in the arrangement of the partshown by Fig. 1 isatent-pole and in the construction shown by Fig. 2 isan ordinary upright. On the support 1, in either form or arrangement ofthe rack, are upper and lower elements 2 and 3, which are of disk shapeand normally spaced apart. These elements are adjustable on the supportthrough the medium of clamping collars 4, one of the latter being usedin connection with each element and may be constructed in either of twoways, as shown by Figs. 4 and 5. The clampingcollar, as shown by Fig.4:, comprises opposite members 5 and 6, each of which has a centralsemicircular body 7, with an inner semicircular recess 8 andoppositely-extending arms 9, the two members 5 and 6 being exactduplicates in construction and when arranged in contiguous relation formmeans through which the support l extends through the medium of thecombined recesses S. The

form of the clamp shown by Fig. 5 is similar in all respects to theclamp shown by Fig. 4 as thus far described, and the corresponding partsare similarly numbered. To fasten the clamping-collar as an entirety inconnection with the support, clam ping-bolts 10 are transversely passedthrough the arms 9 and are held in adjusted relation to said arms bynuts 11. By tightening the nuts on the bolts the two members 5 and 6will be caused to firmly clamp against the support, and thereby hold theelements 2 and 3 at any elevation desired on the support 1. In view of aparticular construction resident in each of the elements 2 and 3, aswill be hereinafter more fully explained, it is necessary that saidelements be held in a positive position relative to each other, and forthis purposethe clamping-collar shown by Fig. 4 has bifurcated arms 12,extending outwardly thereover in planes at right angles to the arms 9,one arm 12 being secured to each member and having an the recess 8. Theouter bifurcated extremities of the arms 12 are engaged by turn-hooks14, applied at proper points to the elements 2- and 3 and dependingbelow the lower side of the latter. These turn-hooks 14 prevent theelements from rotating on the support 1 and are so disposed that thestructural features of the several elements will be arranged in propervertical al'inement when the said hooks are turned over the arms 12, asclearly shown by Fig. 3. At the same time the adjustment may be variedby turning the hooks 14 until they are in alinement with thebifurcations in the'arms 12, and thereby permit the elements to bedisconnected from the clamping-collars, so that the latter maybe clearedfor manipulation of the bolts 10 for loosening and retightening the saidclampingcollars in the same or other positions, as may be founddesirable. The difference of construction, as shown by Fig. 5, is thatthe two members 5 and 6 have arms 15, similar to the arms 12, (shown byFig. 5,) integrally formed with the body portions 8.

The element 2 has a plurality of regularlyspaced keyhole-slots 16 formedtherein and disposed in radial planes, the enlarged portion of each slotbeing projected outward toward the periphery of the element. In theelement 3 a plurality of radial slots 17 are cut inwardly thereinto inradial planes and open outward through the periphery of the said elementand in alinement with the inner terminals of the said slots 17, and at asuitable distance from the periphery of the element are inwardly-inclined apertures or openings 18. On the top surface of theelement 2, at intervals between a portion of the keyholeslots 16, plates19 are secured and have hanger arms or hooks 20, movably mounted in theouter-terminals therefor for supporting garments such as uniform-coatsand the like, the said hanger arms or hooks when not in use being thrownover against the upper surface of the said element 2.

The element 3 is of greater diameter than the element 2, so as toaccommodate the difference in width, structure, or extent of a gunadjacent the lock and breech-block and the position of the barrel inrelation to the lock and stock. In other words, it is desired to support the guns applied to the rack in upright position, and the elements2 and 3 will be spaced apart such an extent as to permit the gun to beelevated slightly to clear the lower portion thereof engaging theelement 3 before withdrawing the barrel end from the element 2. Inapplying guns to the improved rack they are each first tilted orinclinedinwardly to insert the muzzle of the barrel through the slot 16 and thenelevated until the breech-block (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) comesover the opening 18, the adjacent part of the stock and lock then beingwithin the slot 17. The gun is then permitted to lower or is drawndownwardly to insert the breech-block in the opening 18, the latterbeing inclined to accommodate the modern construction of block.

When the gun is so arranged, it will be firmly held applied to theelements 2 and 3 and may be readily removed by slightly elevating thesame to clear the breech-block and then drawing it in an outwarddirection. When the gun assumes a normal position in relation to theelements, the muzzle end of the barrel moves outwardly into the enlargedportion of the keyhole-slot. After the guns have been arranged in themanner set forth in the rack tated for convenience in applying or withdrawing the guns from the elements 2 and 3. Furthermore, when the deviceis arranged for use in an armory a rest or plate 22, in disk or otherform, is secured on the upper terminal of the support 1 to serve as ashelf or holding means for ornaments or other purpose, and at times thesaid device may also be used for supporting accoutrements.

The improved device will be found exceptionally convenient and willpreserve guns as Well as maintain them in a convenient stacked relation.For camp purposes the several parts can be separated and stored incompact space for transportation, and it will be understood that variousmaterials may be used in the formation of the elements as well as of theclamping-collars and other attachments.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Agun-rack comprising a support, upper and lower elements thereon, theupper element having radially-arranged keyhole-slots therein and thelower element provided with radial slots opening out through theperiphery thereof and inwardly-inclined openings at a distance from theinner terminals of the latter slots, and means for holding the elementsin adjustable relation to the support.

2. A gun-rack comprising a support, and upper and lower elements adjustably mounted thereon, the upper element having radial slots thereinat regular intervals and the lower element formed with radial slotsopening out through the periphery thereof and inwardly inclined openingstherethrough at a distance from the inner terminals of said latterslots. 4

4. A gun-rack comprising a support having upper and lower elements, theupper element In testimony whereof I effix my signature havingradially-arranged slots therethrough in presence of two Witnesses.

and the lower element also provided with outi v r 1 wardly openingradial. slots and openings at HORATIO LLWHHCOMB' 5 a distance from theinner terminals of the Witnesses:

latter, and means for holding the said elek E. N. ROBINSON, ments on thesupport. ROBERT LEE GORDON.

